1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play takes place in the early 1900’s during wintertime. It is mainly set in a rural farmhouse in Iowa. The main characters in the play are the Sheriff, the county attorney, Mr. Hale, Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Wright. While Mr. Wright isn’t physically in the play, his character is central to the premise. Mr. Hale had come to the Wrights’ residence earlier to find Ms. Wright sitting alone. She had said her husband was found dead. As a result, an investigation takes place involving the sheriff, the county attorney, Mr. Hale, Mrs. Hale, and Mrs. Peters. They are trying to determine how exactly John Wright died.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
As the characters investigate the death of John Wright, it becomes more and more apparent that Ms. Wright is indeed the true culprit, as they gather more and learn of Ms. Wright’s dead bird.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor that takes place is when the men leave the house and go outside, leaving the women inside. The women are then able to freely investigate. Now the women are shown in a more active light and can figure out what exactly happened.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Beginning of play: How did Mr. Wright die exactly? Who was responsible? End of play: Was justice done regarding the death of John Wright? Did Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters do the morally right thing by hiding the evidence.
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
-Me against myself: I feel want to make a decision based on what is morally Right but at the same time I want justice. Yes, Mrs. Wright killed Mr. Wright, but it is obvious she had reason to based on Mr. Wright’s past actions. I am debating to myself whether this is what I really want. -Me against Sheriff/County Attorney: I want to do what is morally right regarding Ms. Wright. The Sheriff and county attorney, however, want to do what is legally right. From their perspective, Mrs. Wright should pay for what she has done. -Me against society: I want to do what is morally right for Ms. Wright, but society will want her to pay for her crimes. Also, I want for men and women to be treated equally, but that is not what society wants currently. -Me against fate/God: I want to what God would want. I am determining whether God would want me to save Mrs. Wright by hiding the evidence or to have her pay for the crime she committed.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in Triflesand what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
In my opinion, the most theatrical moment of the play is when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find out about the bird and its connection to Mr. Wright’s death. The decision to hide the evidence versus giving it to the men was very crucial as it determined the outcome of the events after the play.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One image that is given to us is at the beginning of the play when the author describes the setting and opening scene. The author gives great detail to the farmhouse and how the characters enter the farmhouse. The men enter the house with confidence as if they have an important job to do. The women on the other walk in more scared and worried and are closer to the door, as if they have a more subordinate role. Another image given to us is when the County Attorney goes to the sink and washes his hands. He belittles and criticizes Ms. Wright’s role and actions which Mrs. Hale gets annoyed by. The author describes it in great detail as well. Another image is when the author carefully describes how the women quickly hide the dead bird from the men before they enter the house again. They do this because they know the men will not even try to understand why Ms. Wright did what she did and immediately lock her up. The title “Trifles” signifies the limited respect and roles women have in the given time period. This is so due to the condescending way Mr. Hale says how women are used to worrying about trifles, as if it is a trivial matter. All these images help enforce this idea, due to the fact that in all those instances women are treated in a more subordinate and inferior role.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
Themes in this play include morality, feminism, and justice.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
This play deals with family in the way that it shows that family can often times not be all what it looks like. So it in a way, it redfines the concept, showing not all families are perfect. From the outside, they seemed like a normal couple, but that wasn’t the case. John Wright abused his wife and even killed her bird. She was so messed up as a result from it that she went ahead and killed him.
The play takes place in the early 1900’s during wintertime. It is mainly set in a rural farmhouse in Iowa. The main characters in the play are the Sheriff, the county attorney, Mr. Hale, Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Wright. While Mr. Wright isn’t physically in the play, his character is central to the premise. Mr. Hale had come to the Wrights’ residence earlier to find Ms. Wright sitting alone. She had said her husband was found dead. As a result, an investigation takes place involving the sheriff, the county attorney, Mr. Hale, Mrs. Hale, and Mrs. Peters. They are trying to determine how exactly John Wright died.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
As the characters investigate the death of John Wright, it becomes more and more apparent that Ms. Wright is indeed the true culprit, as they gather more and learn of Ms. Wright’s dead bird.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor that takes place is when the men leave the house and go outside, leaving the women inside. The women are then able to freely investigate. Now the women are shown in a more active light and can figure out what exactly happened.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Beginning of play: How did Mr. Wright die exactly? Who was responsible?
End of play: Was justice done regarding the death of John Wright? Did Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters do the morally right thing by hiding the evidence.
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
-Me against myself: I feel want to make a decision based on what is morally
Right but at the same time I want justice. Yes, Mrs. Wright killed Mr. Wright,
but it is obvious she had reason to based on Mr. Wright’s past actions.
I am debating to myself whether this is what I really want.
-Me against Sheriff/County Attorney: I want to do what is morally right
regarding Ms. Wright. The Sheriff and county attorney, however, want to do
what is legally right. From their perspective, Mrs. Wright should pay for what
she has done.
-Me against society: I want to do what is morally right for Ms. Wright, but
society will want her to pay for her crimes. Also, I want for men and women
to be treated equally, but that is not what society wants currently.
-Me against fate/God: I want to what God would want. I am determining
whether God would want me to save Mrs. Wright by hiding the evidence or
to have her pay for the crime she committed.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in Triflesand what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
In my opinion, the most theatrical moment of the play is when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find out about the bird and its connection to Mr. Wright’s death. The decision to hide the evidence versus giving it to the men was very crucial as it determined the outcome of the events after the play.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One image that is given to us is at the beginning of the play when the author describes the setting and opening scene. The author gives great detail to the farmhouse and how the characters enter the farmhouse. The men enter the house with confidence as if they have an important job to do. The women on the other walk in more scared and worried and are closer to the door, as if they have a more subordinate role. Another image given to us is when the County Attorney goes to the sink and washes his hands. He belittles and criticizes Ms. Wright’s role and actions which Mrs. Hale gets annoyed by. The author describes it in great detail as well. Another image is when the author carefully describes how the women quickly hide the dead bird from the men before they enter the house again. They do this because they know the men will not even try to understand why Ms. Wright did what she did and immediately lock her up. The title “Trifles” signifies the limited respect and roles women have in the given time period. This is so due to the condescending way Mr. Hale says how women are used to worrying about trifles, as if it is a trivial matter. All these images help enforce this idea, due to the fact that in all those instances women are treated in a more subordinate and inferior role.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
Themes in this play include morality, feminism, and justice.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
This play deals with family in the way that it shows that family can often times not be all what it looks like. So it in a way, it redfines the concept, showing not all families are perfect. From the outside, they seemed like a normal couple, but that wasn’t the case. John Wright abused his wife and even killed her bird. She was so messed up as a result from it that she went ahead and killed him.